Is The World Coming To An End?

IS THE WORLD COMING TO AN END?

Astrologers Predict some Awful Disasters.

EARLY IN THE NEXT MONTH

Owing to a "Frightful" Conjunction of Planets-What Prof. Hall Says about It.

The conjunction of planets that will take place during the early days of December, together with the startling predictions of the astrological world, has created quite a stir in this country and Europe. It seems we are in imminent danger of being knocked into a cocked hat by an unruly combination of the solar world, which proposes to scatter fire, plagues, earthquakes, and all sorts of social and political disturbances indiscriminately.

According to some astrologers 50 per cent., of the human souls on earth will leave their bodies during the coming year, and some place this prophecy as high as 75 per cent. Great troubles are predicted for President McKinley, and tremendous fluctuations in stocks must be expected, and terrible panics. The pope will die, but the Roman Catholic church will hold its own. Protestantism will suffer severely, a new religious system will be attempted, but without success, and the whole social and political system will be overthrown. Volcanoes will spurt their fires anew, and hurricanes will sweep the earth. Some go even a step further and predict the end of the world, at least as it now exists. And all because Saturn, Venus, Uranus, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter will be clustered on one side of the earth, with only Neptune to balance, so to speak, on the other.

Prof. C. A. L. Totten, of Yale University, has published the following commentary on the astronomical and astrological aspects for the current year:

"That the conjunctions and other interrelations of the heavenly bodies affect affairs upon our globe, yea, and directly govern them, is a positive fact, and this is the basis of the universal science of etiology - that of normal health, via light and its correlations."

But wise men do not agree, and it is when the calm, cool star-gazer steps out from his observatory and gives to the world his predictions that the world listens with regained courage and confidence in the everlasting laws of nature. Prof. John K. Rees, of the Columbia University, says that this grouping of the planets will be an extraordinary study, but adds: "As for the effect upon life of the earth, there will be none, except that astronomers who expose themselves in the pursuit of their profession may take pneumonia. We do not recognize that the heavenly bodies have any effect upon meteorological conditions. There is no proof for it."

Prof. Hall of the chair of astronomy at the University of Michigan, gave his opinion as follows:

"Astrological predictions," said he, "are outgrown. There undoubtedly will be a singular combination of the solar world during the early days of December, and while the solar system at that time will present an uncommon phase, it will by no means be a rare one. The phenomenon we are expecting occurs at regular intervals of about 50 years, and goes to demonstrate the fact that things may be in the same direction in space and not be near one another. Prognosticating astrologers give an entirely wrong idea of the situation. If the various members of the solar world were grouped in the form they predict, the effect would be tremendous and the solar system destroyed. As a matter of fact, the conditions will be these: All the planets except Mercury and Neptune will be in 'conjunction,' that is to say, a straight line drawn from the earth through the center of the sun would pass through, or very near, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Venus, though, as I have said, it is simply a curious combination and does not mean anything significant."

In reply to the question as to the importance in astronomical circles, Prof. Hall said: "It particularly is fraught with interesting phenomena. On Nov. 13 we will pass through one of the largest meteoric showers of modern times. A cornet will become disintegrated in the east, and from midnight until dawn the heavens will present strange and beautiful sights to the world. The eclipses are merely a matter of routine. The annular eclipse of the sun will occur on Dec. 2, and I sincerely hope we will exist long enough to see the eclipse of the moon on Dec. 16."